Reckoning: Chapter 50
by Michelle.Lee.PDX
Summary: Dru is on the hunt for answers and what she finds out might be more than she wants to know. Evil svetocha, Lena, continues to grow in strength and threaten Dru's safety. Can Leander teach her how to be a sorceress fast enough to rival Lena? Now that Dru knows that Graves and Christophe still love her, what will she do about it?


The scene rippled into a watery vision. I tried to hold on as long as possible, but it was no use. _Wait! I need to know more. Dammit!_ I was pulled out and away. My senses came into focus as I heard the familiar sound of chalk writing on a blackboard and smelled the unforgettable odor of critters in cages.

I thought about everything the vision revealed. _So there was a reason behind Christophe's sudden exit from the schola. He was pretending to leave because he was protecting me. That son of a bitch. All that talk was just to throw Lena off… if she bought it. And what the hell is up with Graves? What's this secret everyone keeps talking about and why am I the last person on Earth to know? He is so… confusing. Is he really in love with me or someone else?_

Leander's back faced me as he wrote on the board. Finally he cleared his throat to speak. "Have you returned, Milady?"

I realized I was still holding the cookie jar and gently set the cow down on the table, making sure the head was properly balanced on its body. "Yup. I'm here." I exhaled and tried to focus myself in the here and now. "Leander, I have a question. The jar identified Christophe as its owner. Why? I mean, this was my mother's, so why him… now?"

He turned around and looked at me with his deep brown eyes. "I am afraid that I do not know the answer to that question, Miss Dru. The jar was brought to me before I arrived along with the other items you see." My mouth shaped into a disappointed frown. Leander turned his back and started writing on the board again. He was using Sanskrit so his writing was incomprehensible. _Is he trying to blow me off?_

I faked a cough before continuing. "I've been wondering, how did Milady Gogol become such a powerful sorceress?"

The chalk broke in his fingers as he wrote on the board. He brushed his hands together in a nervous way as he dusted the residue from his hands. "Well Milady, that is an interesting question. But not one for today." He was annoyingly dismissive. "Another time, I promise." _He's definitely trying to blow me off._

Befuddled by Leander's behavior, I left the lower level wondering what to make of the fact that Graves and Christophe were still acting like kids fighting over one toy. Unfortunately, I was that toy and felt like I was being stretched in two different directions. It was like being told to choose between my two favorite flavors of ice cream, mint chocolate chip or rocky road. Either way I couldn't have both at the same time. _Right?_

As I passed by the main entryway on the south side, I realized how ravenous I was and decided to pick up some dinner at the caf. As I entered the room, I scanned the tables. As usual, all eyes looked in my direction as I crossed the threshold. _Awkward._

I fell into line behind a pair of snickering freshman djamphire. I guessed they'd never seen a svetocha before. At least I was getting better at not caring so much. Still I couldn't let the moment pass without some snarky comment. "That's right boys… the svetocha has entered the building. Take a whiff while you can." They quickly straightened their backs and turned their gazes forward.

After piling on the food, I turned around to search for a welcoming place to sit. _I hate this part the most. Maybe I should just retreat to my room again?_ Finally I spotted Dibs sitting alone at one of the round tables, studying his biology textbook. I wasn't sure if I was still pissed at him or not, but I figured I ought to try to be friendly to him. After all, Dibs was there for me when I needed him and I owed him that much. I exhaled and started walking towards his table.

Even from behind he could smell my presence. "If you'd like to sit Milady, that's cool." I cringed at the sound of him using the stuffy title reserved for svetocha. I pulled the chair to Dibs' right and plopped down my tray and book bag. He glanced at my heaping plate of food. "Wow, hungry are we?" I sat down without making a noise.

After several minutes of awkward silence where he pretended to read and I pushed lettuce around my plate, I tossed a random question at Dibs. "Why were you at the Reform Schola?" I had always wanted to know why Dibs was there. He seemed so out of place because he was unlike the others. He was the shyest teenager I'd ever met, but he was also the friendliest. He was my instant friend, aside from Graves, when no one else dared.

Dibs was caught off guard, however he didn't seem upset. He was chewing on a piece of rib eye and finally swallowed so he could speak. "I… was there because my uncle sent me." He closed his book and half turned in my direction to look at me. "My parents and sisters died in an ambush on our compound when I was five. Because of the trauma, I stopped talking and didn't speak again until I was nine. The Elders sent me to live with my uncle's family in Utah."

He paused to take a sip of his Coke. "They were kind enough, but they didn't know how to help me. As a kid who was depressed, I spent a lot of time sleeping and being alone. I went undiagnosed for years. I finally got to a point when I was thirteen when one day I thought, "What if?"

I didn't understand. "What if what, Dibs?"

He shifted in his chair. "You know… what if I didn't have to live like this anymore? What if I just ended it?" I finally understood what he meant.

I stared at my chunk of meatloaf to avoid looking into Dibs' eyes. If I saw, I might start to cry. "You tried to kill yourself, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I tried and failed thankfully. That's when I got sent to the Reform Schola. They didn't know what else to do with me. When I got there, I met Shanks, then Graves… and then you. I found my calling." He looked at me with a sideways grin. "It's not like I don't have bad days ever, but it's a lot better than before. I know how to deal with it now." His voice ended in a peaceful tone.

Finally I understood the challenges Dibs had to overcome and why he was so introverted when we met. He had come a long way and deserved the accolades for his achievement. I smiled at him for sharing such a personal thing with me. Just then it seemed like the right time to talk about our issue.

"Dibs, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm still kinda upset about all the _wulfen_ secrecy stuff. You have to understand how I feel so alone. I spent my childhood being isolated and now I'm finally not all by myself. All this reminds me of my loneliness. Can't you tell me anything?"

Dibs looked like he wanted to explain but hesitated. "Dru, it hurts me, and it especially hurts Nat, not to talk to you. We want to say stuff and we feel torn about it. But it's not our call. Honestly it's up to Graves and he should be back any..." His sentence trailed off unexpectedly.

I looked at him with a wide-eyed expression. "Any what?" He looked like the cat that just swallowed the canary. "Any time? Any day? Or any minute?" My voice raised an octave.

Dibs didn't say a thing more. He just gave me a sly smile.

I left the caf a bit excited but overall felt exhausted from the emotions of the day. Between the sorcery lessons and my conversation with Dibs, I just wanted to crash. However respite was not in the cards. Unexpectedly, Bruce called a meeting of the Order members at 4 AM. The Council convened weekly so it was unusual to meet on short notice. _Something must be up._

I had no time to stop by my room so I came as I was in holey jeans, tank top and slouchy sweater. As I strode down the carpeted hallway toward the chamber, the guardsmen opened the heavy doors and ushered me through.

Bruce, Hiro, Ezra, and Alton were present. As usual I was the last to arrive. "Good evening, Milady Dru." Hiro was cordial and friendly as always and was wearing his typical uniform of gray silk shirt with slacks. Bruce on the other hand was dressed more casually in his mock neck sweater and jeans. He also seemed a little bit uneasy. His classically handsome features seemed in conflict with the emotion. Ezra and Alton were already seated and talking with each other quietly.

As the facilitator, Bruce spoke first. "Milady, we have called for today's session because we just received some interesting news about our political relations with the _wulfen_." He continued but his tone became even stiffer. "Our peace agreement was signed two centuries ago, which is when the tithe was fulfilled by creating the integrated schola system. However we are required to reassess the terms of our partnership every ten years, known as the Pactus. That period of re-negotiation will be in a few months from now."

"Okay, then what's the big emergency that's keeping me from my beauty sleep?" I spoke sarcastically. Hiro shifted his weight in his chair, subtly signaling me to keep my mouth shut.

Ezra piped up quickly to fill the awkward silence. He spoke with a distinct Welsh accent. "Milady, the urgency is due to the fact that there is a rumor that the _Wulfen_ are wanting equal rights as the _Kourio_." I thought it was a joke at first, but then I saw the look on his face. He was deadly serious.

I could tell this was a delicate subject. Thousands of years of _djamphire_ history was built upon the backs of _wulfen_ through slavery, war and annihilation. Unfortunately the _djamphire_ were more often the offenders than the victims. It was only because they fought against a common enemy, the _wampire_, that they were able to come to a truce and sign an agreement to combine their resources.

"Okay, I still don't get it though. Why did we have to meet tonight?" I honestly had no idea what they thought my role was in this process. I looked around the table trying to read their faces. Their aspects moved through each at random.

Ezra sat taller in his seat and leaned forward on the table with his fingers laced. He cleared his throat and launched into his speech. "Milady Dru, what we are saying is... the Order needs you to help represent its interests at the bargaining table. The goal is to ensure that the _Kourio_ maintain their rights. As you know we have a system in place that could become unbalanced if the _wulfen_ received too many shares of the resources." My ears started burning with heat and fury.

Alton jumped into the conversation and continued the proposal. "We are in support of their rights and interests, of course. However, the balance must be maintained. Your position and stature with the _wulfen_ kind is… significant. You have a positive influence on the _wulves_. You see, Milady, we consider you as a natural choice to participate in the summit meetings. Will you join our team? The training starts in two days."

I practically stumbled out of the meeting hall in a fog of anger and disgust. I was obviously pissed about the Order's attempt to use me to take advantage of my friends. However I had to admit I was also interested in taking the reigns and driving forward the changes I'd always wanted in the _scholas_. _If they think I can be controlled like some puppet, they have some surprises coming to them._ I accepted the position of course and looked forward to the start of official negotiations.

I took the scenic route back to the dorms and cut through the North side of the schola, to the warehouse that was used for an armory and gun range. August was often at the range, shooting targets with his favorite weapon, the .44, which he lovingly named Callahan. However when I walked into the warehouse, he was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to turn and leave, I heard the sound of a single shooter at the end of the row, reloading lightening fast and then firing off the whole chamber. From where I stood, I could see the target, which was over fifty yards away. It was filled with bullet holes, concentrated near the center. I knew who it was immediately… Shanks. He was using his favorite weapon, a .357 magnum.

I decided to join him and checked out a .9 mm from the armory, grabbed a pair of yellow eye lenses and headed down to the stall next to Shanks. He emptied another chamber and reloaded in seconds again. I waited for him to finish before I started firing. I held my gun in both hands and raised it to shoulder level. I fired three rounds and hit the target, however not as tightly as Shanks.

"Up late tonight, Milady?"

I wasn't surprised he could tell it was me. Maybe it was the sound of my .9 mm firing or he smelled _svetocha_. Regardless, he was good at tracking and sensing.

"Just thought I'd get a few in before calling it a day." I tried to sound nonchalant and cool.

Shanks fired off the remaining rounds before setting his weapon down on the padded counter. I continued to fire until my chamber was empty. As I began to reload, Shanks spoke with slight irritation in his voice. "I proposed to Nat last night, Dru."

I set my gun down on the counter. "Shit. I didn't know that. What did she say? Yes, I hope?"

Shanks didn't make a noise so I assumed the answer was affirmative. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for her, and you. But you know why." I turned sideways and peered at Shanks tall form. His emo-boy cut was wavier than the last time I saw him.

"Fuck, Dru. I get why you're mad, but you don't gotta take it out on Nat. She's just doing what she's supposed to do. Give her a friggin' break." Shanks seemed pretty pissed off. So was I. It seemed we both had anger in reserve. We stood in silence for a moment.

I looked at the gun in my possession. Finally I got an idea and my eyes opened wide. "Hey, you know those revolvers sitting in the armory?"

"Yeah, what about?" Shanks seemed disinterested in the question.

"A little game of fast draw to settle our differences? With rubber bullets?" He looked mildly interested so I continued. "If I shoot you first, you have to give up the information on Graves. It's brilliant because you won't get in trouble. You can say I shot your ass unless you told me what I wanted to know."

"Hmm. And if I shoot you first? What's in it for me?" He seemed to be growing an interest in the concept.

"Well, good question." I paused to think about what might be worthwhile. Suddenly, Shanks' eyes grew wider and it was obvious he had an idea. "If I shoot you first, not only do you have to apologize to Nat but you have to be the Maid of Honor, wear any dress she picks out for you and throw a fancy-ass bridal shower." Shanks seemed rather pleased with himself for thinking of such a thing.

His solution was repulsive, I had to admit. I almost thought it worse then divulging a secret. I sighed deeply and finally agreed. "Throw down then."

Ten minutes later, Shanks and I were standing fifty yards away from each other. We each wore holsters on our hips and a singly loaded revolver. I had some experience shooting a revolver in the past and hoped that Shanks didn't have too much of an advantage on me. I knew the key to quick draw was pulling the hammer back just after grabbing the handle, then leaning back so the barrel could clear the holster to fire cleanly.

We agreed to fire when the signal went off. We waited. My aspect flushed across my face and fangs extended. My hands started to sweat. _Oh my god. What the hell did I get myself into? I know the bullets aren't real but they can kill if conditions were ripe despite being a superfreak svetocha or wulfen. We are idiots!_ I was about to call it off. Suddenly, the armory buzzer sounded. It was our sign that we could fire.

I reached my right hand to the grip of the gun. As I contacted the handle, my thumb pulled back on the hammer and I leaned slightly back while rotating the point in Shanks' direction.

A noise echoed in the warehouse. It was not from my weapon. My aspect was in full form as I saw the bullet approach my body. I was fast and lunged left to avoid getting hit in the chest, however it was not enough.

The bullet contacted my right arm in the deltoid and bounced to floor. I grabbed my arm where I felt the hit and peeked at the spot between my fingers. There was a huge red angry spot where the bullet hit. No skin broke on impact but soon there would be a purple contusion. I kneeled to the cement floor in pain. "Shit, that hurt! I can't believe you just shot me!"

Shanks came running and was next to me in a moment. "Holy shit! I can't believe you didn't get out of the way faster, sister."

"What the fuck, Shanks! You just shot me and now your blaming me for not moving fast enough?" I was royally pissed off and socked him in the arm.

"Ow!" He was almost laughing. "No, you're right. I'm sorry, dude. I feel really bad… that you have to wear an ugly ass dress and throw a fancy pants party for my girl." He laughed in a cackle-ish kind of way.

"Shut up already." It hurts bad enough just getting shot.

Shanks stopped laughing, finally. "Help up?" I grabbed the inside of his wrist and was yanked off the ground. "Look Dru, you took my bullet so you deserve to know something." He sighed. I looked at him from the side as I started to unbuckle the holster from my waist. "I'm gonna tell you something you need to know about Graves." Finally!

"You know he's being trained for big stuff, right?" I nodded. "Well, he's been tapped for a key leadership role, which is gonna bring him back to the Prima again."

"What kind of leadership are we talking about Shanks?" _Please don't tell me it's..._

"Graves is one of the candidates who's coming for the summit negotiations between the _Wulfen _and the_ Kourio_." I cringed at the sound of his words. _Shit._

The next day, as I sat on the stool in Leander's classroom waiting for him to arrive, I reflected on what Shanks said about Graves. _If he is going to be at the summit table representing the Wulfen, and I will be speaking for the Kourio, will he treat me as his opponent? Or even worse, his enemy? Does Graves know I'll be sitting at the table as well?_

The door to the hallway opened so quietly that I didn't hear Leander enter. It was almost like he didn't even use it. Could he have transposed through it like a spirit often does, I wondered.

"Good afternoon, Milady. Are you ready for our final lesson in Psychometry? Today is the most exciting. We shall be viewing the future through the eyes of the owner of this." He pointed to the sapphire encrusted cuff on the table. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I'd ever seen. I longed to know who claimed the piece. He handed me the jeweled bracelet. It was cold to the touch and it sparkled with every angle of a turn.

"Let's get on with the show then, Leander."

On the blackboard in Leander's handwriting was the incantation. "Speak this three times in your mind while focusing on the object, Milady.

_Bestow me sight, light my way,_

_Show the future as clear as day._

I did as instructed and knew to do given that this was my third time reading an object. The classroom started to swirl into a watery tone. Only the bracelet in my hands remained sharp and in focus. I thought about how valuable it must be to its owner and wondered how it became separated from her.

The vision began to pull tighter and I started to see shapes that looked somewhat familiar. Before I could identify anything, I smelled a familiar scent. It was the odor of perfume, made of floral and vanilla notes.

The sight before me came into view. It was the Prima Schola again but the room I was in was almost unfamiliar. I finally realized it was the great hall, which was often used for special events, however this time it was decorated beyond recognition. There were giant tree trunks and branches in winter white colors that stretched up toward the ceiling. The lighting was a blue-ish hue, which made the room look mystical and enchanted. There were rows of chairs on each side of the room and an long stretch of silk fabric down the middle that ended in an arch made of snow covered branches. It was decorated for a wedding.

A noise echoed from the alter area which sounded like a female moan. The vision pulled me toward the front of the room. I saw a black figure in a long shredded cape leaning over something in white. It was Lena and her head was down toward the floor. Her long svetocha claws were grasping at the fabric. The smell of blood filled the room. She was feeding on a victim.

Lena finally raised her head. Her fangs were fully extended and trickled with red fluid. The eyes were closed because she was enjoying the buzz that came from drinking off another. The victim in white was the bride. Her neck was torn and exposed and the excess blood was seeping into the bodice of the dress. It was a gruesome sight.

The bride, who smelled of a familiar cologne, was Natalie Skyrunner. Her eyes were open and dead-looking. There was no more breath to raise and lower the chest. She was gone.

Lena's eyes finally opened and her pupils were dilated. She was filled with passion and energy. She looked down at her kill and seemed pleased with herself for ruining such a perfect event and the lives associated with it. After a moment, Lena's gaze wandered around the room until it settled on me. _Who is she looking at? It can't be me. This is a future vision. I'm not really here!_

Finally Lena spoke, but the mouth and lips remained closed. Her gaze held onto mine.

"I see you, _moja siostra_."

**Readers: Can Dru change the future to prevent Nat's death? Can Dru really rival Lena's powers as a sorceress and svetocha? Is Graves, and/or Christophe, about to return to the schola? Is Dru ready to participate in the summit and sit across the table from Graves, her favorite Goth Boy? Come back next weekend to find out.**


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